Kris Meeke wins in Spain, Sebastien Ogier closes in on title

14/10/2017

Britain's Kris Meeke won the Rally of Spain-Catalunya for Citroen on Sunday while reigning world champion Sebastien Ogier moved closer to a fifth successive title with second place.

The victory was Meeke's second of the season, after Mexico, and he finished 28 seconds clear of the Frenchman's M-Sport Ford Fiesta.

Ogier's Estonian team mate Ott Tanak was third.

With two rounds remaining, and Britain next up before the Australian finale, Ogier has 198 points to Tanak's 161 with Hyundai's Belgian Thierry Neuville on 160.

Neuville's title hopes suffered a big blow with retirement on the final morning of the Salou-based rally in north-eastern Spain.

"Unfortunately, I turned a bit too tightly in a slow corner in SS16 (stage 16) and hit something that damaged the wheel, and caused the front suspension to break. That was it, game over," said the Belgian.

M-Sport also lead the manufacturers' title with 358 points to Hyundai's 275.